Warping process



Dec. 18 1923.

C. WHlTLOCK WARPING PROCESS Filed Jan. 13, 1.92? 2 Sheets-Sheet J A IVEYY WARPING PROCESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 13. 1.922

Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

ire!) STATES CLEVELAND WHITLOCK, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WARPING PROCESS.

Applicationfiled January 13, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEVELAND Vrrrr- LOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at 196 Hall Street, Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Warping Processes, of which the following is a specification.

This, invention relates to the process of preparing warps, adapted to enter a loom, and has different objects which will be specifically stated. All of these however tend to make the process of running on and beaming off more expeditious, considerably cheaper, and yielding better results.

It is also involves for its successful operation certain minor mechanical changes in the construction of the warping mills, that could be effected in various ways and will be described and suggested in their simplest form in the following disclosure.

The first object of this invention is to devise a practical process of warping re quiring less skill and attendance than the old known process and therefor reducing the manufacturing cost for highly paid skilled labor.

A second object is to devise a warping process, making a. division of the work to be done among skilled and unskilled help possible and profitable. f

The third object of the invention is to enable a warper to attend to more than one bobbin frame or jack at a time without reducing the productive speed which each jack attains when separately handled.

As a fourth object the novel process aims at the production of warps of greater length than are possible or profitable with the present method. v

The fifth object of the new process is to reduce and partly eliminate the unproductive'periods of the warper, at present consumed with supplementary or corrective work.

A sixth object is to prevent the occurrence of atroublesome and obstructive circumstance, commonly called rolling which will be defined and spoken of in its proper relation. I y

The seventh object is to enable the warper by a novel arrangement of machinery, made possible in its turn through the main principle of the new invention, to superintend shaft passes.

Serial No. 528,902.

the different operations necessary to complete the warp, more successfully and conveniently.

For its eighth object the new process aims to make the resulting work of better and more even quality and greater quanity than is possible by the hitherto used method.

A final and ninth object is to devise a process which makes the employment of other specific modern improvements of a more mechanical nature, as for instance: automatic thread-break stopping devices, measuring apparatus and so forth more availible and effective, thus resulting in and contributing to better work in less time andat lower cost than has hitherto been possible.

These various objects are attained by means, described in the following exposition and illustrated, as far as their mechanical features are concerned, in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is an elevational view, showing in a diagrammatical way the arrangement of two bobbin frames orjacks,the warp threads drawn through the brasses and winding onto their respective warp drums, also the counter shafts and the motor driving the warp drum. This elevation is taken diagonally alongside any one of the three symmetrically arranged and opposite couples of warpmill sets which form the radial arrangement shown in the following figure.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing one form of the radial disposition of jacks and warp mills, recommended in connection with and forming a part of the complete new process.

Figure 3 is a partly diagrammatical representation of a. composite warp-mill and the beam, adapted tothe principles of the new process.

Figure 4 shows an end View of this warpmill and the beam, temporarily mounted on the warp-mill frame.

Figure 5 shows an end view and Figure 6 a side view of the single drums on'which the units of the new composite warp is wound.

Figure 7 shows a detail of the end of the polygonal shaft on which these single drums are mounted.

Figure 8 shows a detail of one of the quill shafts, through which the polygonal Figure 9 is an end view of th s q ui11s ai Up to the present time the different operations, of which the process of warping consists must be attended to by one operator and as warping is connected with many slips and set-backs, resulting in unproductive interruptions and going-back to repair and patch up the faults, not to mention the often considerable waste of materia, it is a slow time-consuming task.

For instance a warp, 180 inches wide and of the usual length of say 2400 yards for the bottom beam of the loom and 3600 yards for the top beam, a highly skilled warper can hardly complete in less than sit) hours of labor. Often it takes more;

The threads are run from movable and exchangeable jacks, usually containing 336 spools, through brasses onto one common long warp drum, each jack separately and in succession. A warp, 180 inches wide, will absorb about 15 jacks and requires there-.

fore just as many successive'milling operations.

The warp mill consists in the main of a drum of large diameter and of the maximum length of a warp, journalled in a frame and driven by a motor or other power. usually through a belt drive.

Broken threads in the process of filling the warp mill cause many delays, not only through the necessary stops, whi e the threads are mended or at least a mark is made calling for later remedies, but also the present system.

In addition tothese difficulties, caused by broken threads, there occurs a phenomenon,

By this is commonly called rol ing. meant, that the edges of the warp on the starting end of the drum as well as on the working end pile up and fall over the upper layers aga1n,-or even in some cases over the flanges and off the drum,afterwards caus- .1ng-mu'ch trouble inthe process of beaming off. This condition is caused by the steadily increasing side prcssureof the succeeding layers of the warp, as they are "run grows in proportion separate warp originally contains. I This tendency of long warps to roll,

against which at present there is no remedy,

puts by itself a limit to-the length of warps which now 'it is possible and profitable to make. V

The running on being finished, the warp- .several- 1' acks.

er must beam off the warp, which means. that he must back-Wind the whole width of warp simultaneously onto drums of a smaller diameter and capacity, but of full length, suitable for entering the looms.

In this operation which in its details is' similar to the running on, first described, the same difiiculties and still more of them are met with and demand their tribute in elimination of extra spools, which must be run afterwards to supplement spools put out of action, and thus result in a more even value to the warpers handicraft.

Summing up the undersir'able interruptions and unproductive periods, inseparable from the present method of migratory jacks. short warps and old fashioned warp mills, it may be said that an average of three days in eight working days is devoted to unproductive delays, drawing in short warps, patching up defective work and auxiliary manipulations, which might partly be elimi nated by an improved process.

The basic principle of the new process is the dissection of the warp into transportafilled to take their p ace the assembly warp mill frame.

.A third principle, the previous objections "to which are overcome by the new general arrangement of the running-on machinery, is the putting into pract ce of multiple reeling, that is: simultaneous unwinding of Other consequences-and advantages resulting from the new working method-will be dealt with later. 7 1 dissection of the warp into transportable units requires :a mechanical divisibility mill and also presupposes the/installation of 'One ,or moresmalle'r'reel frames for the reception and filling' ofjth'ese: partitio nal warp drums,- these reel framesbeing adapted to assume the same function", that themain warp mill in the old process had:e'xerted.* j I A new division of labor thus results, as the services of the main warp mill' in the new process are dispensed withfor therunning-on and confinedto thebeaming-ofi solely.

It willbe seen'in'Figure 3 that the warp drum, instead of bein'g'a long continuous inflanges 20., high enough for themaximum' length ofwarp, intended to'be run on each drum." r i p In order to be removable and at the same time temporarily attachable to the shaft, the drums cannot be provided with smooth circular borings only, but must have either. square or polygonal apertures as shown at 13, or may run on a straight continuouskey. They may likewise be provided with other means of temporarily fixing them on the common shaft. If the'dr'ums have square E or polygonal loorings, the' common shafts are better made of the same "corresponding section throughout thewhole length and provided with quill shafts at the ends and sleeve couplings, to run in themill journals, as shown by quill shaft 14, 15 and 16, running a in the ournals 1 4, 15 'and 16.

To prevent the inner sha'ftsfromslipping 1 out of the quill shafts, their outer ends 12 and 12, as far as they protrudefrom' the quill shafts, are upset and threaded.

, The adjoiningends ofthe quillshaft must be flush and threaded in alignment with these ends, as shown; at 14 and 16. Over these short threaded parts fitsa nut 17 or 18, coupling the sleeves'to the protruding endsof the quill shaft. The'fmiddle quill shaft 15 of course could dispense in this arran ement with such provisions. To secure the quill shafts lengthwise in the bearings they are also provided with flanges 14 14 15, 15". 16and 16 The quill shafts are perforated in a way which corresponds to the section of the inner; solid shaft; See

13 and 13 in Figures 5 and 9. Onequill" shaft, in this 'case 1 is moreover provided with a keyway 19 on it. L y

This brake-pulley and the subsequent part-s described and enumerated'in Figures to '9,'-are parts thatmaybe-found 'onany warp mill hitherto used, and are therefore notc-onfined to the use'of the novel method.

are mount-ed on any suitable frame, not spec- They are only mentioned for a better understanding of the working mechanism.

' The numeral 21 in Figure 4 represents the frame for the support of the warp drum and the beam 22. The bearings 23 and 2 1 are open fork-like bearings, as indicated, for

" thetemporary' insertion and easy removal of the warp drum and the diifcrent beams that'are' to transmit the warp to .the differ:

ent looms supplied by the warp mill.

Any one of these beams must be provided with a driving pulley 25 to receive a driving belt 25 coming from a counter shaft or a motor directly.

The warp thread 26 of the first three drum units is shown asdrawn through the brasses 28, mounted on the support 28, and for the remaining drums it is shown as not drawn through these brasses yet. \Vhen beaming off, the upper periphery of the drums and of the brake wheel 19 as well is run towards the beam, and the brake belt 30, fastened at one end at 31 and carrying the weight 32 at the free end will, when passed over the brakewheel in the running'direction, pro-' vide by its friction on the wheel the necessary tension to the warp thread. The beam drum is divided by flanges 34 into as many compartments 33, as maycorrespond to the v warps, or as may be deemed convenient for the arrangement of the brasses.

position of'the warp reels 35 is the one affording the best'means of supervision for the operator. moving about in the free central space of the arrangement. The six jacks 36 which can be of any ordinary type, are

radiallydisposed on the periphery of the arrangement with as many of the warp drum :units 37 mounted in front of and in radial alignment with them. The jacks may be vertical ones or inclined jacks, as the drawing shows, and they may be mounted on casters, as the usual jacks are. or permanently fastened to the floor. At any rate they do not need tobe moved and shifted about for the running on process, as they can be-& filled with spools in their working position] The threads are run from the jacks through the brasses 38 in the usual way, and the brasses are supported as is customary and convenient. The single drum units 37 ified inthe diagram, and provided with a drive 39 and countershaft 40. On these countershaftsare mounted the receiving pulleys 41 which are driven by belts 4:2 from the motors 43.

The central arrangement affords also the possibility tohandle the individual drums by means of a simple rotary jib, not shown in the diagrams.

As these individual drums arejthe only parts to be transported and exchanged in the working process, and all other machinery is stationary, it is obvious that any auxiliary devices, as for instance thread-break stop mechanismsor counting registers can be installed permanently and utilized to the full benefit that they may accord. These additional helps tend to make the whole process more automatic and independent of the personal attention and skill of the warper. The new process in its completeness also facilitates a division of labor between skilled and unskilled help hitherto impossible.

Another immediate advantage of the drum unit system is the practical elimination of any danger of rolling.- vThe side pressure cannot exert its influence in the small distance of twelve inches, the presumable widths of the drum units between the flanges 37 which would correspond to the usual widthsofa warp furnished by one jack. It is therefore possible and advan: tageous to increase the capacity of the drum and therewith the length of warp, up to a reasonable limit, which will greatly depend upon the capacity of the spools. These increased capacities inthemsel'ves will result in longer productive runs and reduce the number of repetitionsof unproductive drawings-in, or introduction of'extraspools and so forth. As millings can be made. of almost any desired length, they may be made sufficient for several warps. -For instance, if there were 50,000 yards on the composite drum, they could be beamed'onto 5 beams, thus making 5 separate 10,000 yard beams.

The running-on department can be'separated from the beaming department, the transportation and mounting of the drum units as-well as the filling of the jacks with spools being attended to by juniors orunskilled labor.

'The different phases of the new warping process would then be the following.

The filling of the jacks withthreadsof the exact required length and quality could them. :into a warpdrum of: larger 1 capacity and beamingi -th'i's' composite drum off onto beams, adapted to enter a loom,-the employmentof-apolygonalywarp drum shaft, a

be done: by -minors or helpers. 1 Thenthe warper draws the A threads througlr the brasses and fastensthem to--asman'y-individual drums as seems practicaland' convenient to run simultaneously." 1

After these individual drums are filled they aretransferred to: the 'beamingbfi de- I oi-J in aligned assemblyfin the running-on par'tment wherethey are simply filed-and assembled up'on' th'e' common shaft of the warp mill. From this :pointonthe opera tions are analogous-to those of the -old" process, except that" inthe beaming-ofiralsd automatic thread-break-sto'p machinery can s.

be applied to its fullest adventage, v

dangers; of f rolling? and smashing howev are. eli ina d by e n w Process and no unproductive interruptions of any appreciable leng ths need. occur.

Having thus described inyinven'tion, what ljclaimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

j 1 A composite-Warping process comprisijng jthej filling Ofseparate and individual warp drums of. similar construction andca-.

.ing machine.

7 3. A composite warping process, comprising-thesimultaneous filling of a multiplicity of separate warp cylinders, adapted to be assembled upon acommon shaft, so as to form a warp cylinder ofgreater width, suit ableto be unwound onto the several beams which enternthe loom; r

r 4. The/combination with a, warping process, consisting of filling a multiplicity of warp mills with removable drums of a beam in-g-oft process comprising the assemblage of the filled removable drums upon a common shaft, {and the subsequent simultaneous beaming-off, of these various drums, onto beams. adapted to entera loom.

5.'-A composite Warping process, consisting in completing the running-on of the single warps, resulti'ngfrom the unwinding of separate bobbin frames, on as many separate warp drums, and beaming them; off simultaneously, ontojbeams or bobbins, suitable to. enteria weavingl machine. GrIna composite warping'process, consistingessentially in :running on threads from" bobbin sfl'ames-to :several sectional warp drums of smaller capacity, assembling plurality ofvseparate drums,with hubs perforated l tojfit'thiis polygonal shaft,-. said drums-beingyadaptedgto be used separately and beaming-01f of the warp.

71: A? composite; warping. process, comprising. j li zlmployment .ofstationarily placed" bobbin" framea-I the; employment of a*multiplieity jofiw ltpi mil s; corresponding in eaipatlty tie-embrace otthe. bicbbinrtrames, the

1,478,082 assembly of these Warp mills, in alignment With their corresponding bobbin frames, into a simultaneous Working unit and the assem- September 1921.

bly of the finished Warps into a working unit CLEVELAND WHITLOCIQ 5 for the simultaneous beaming-off onto beams Witnesses:

adapted to enter a loom. I ALBERT F. MoRIARTY,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my E. J. HOLLAHAN.

name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses, this 17th day of 

